Racemic or optically active compounds of the formula (I) as defined below are useful in the treatment of asthma, or inflammatory airway or skin diseases, particularly chronic asthma, hay fever, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and dermatitis due to contact hypersensitivity.
There is currently little useful therapy for the treatment of chronic asthma. Dexamethasone, a steriod used in such therapy, has many side effects, and there is a continuing need for therapeutic agents which, even though they may enjoy less potent activity than dexamethasone are relatively free of such side effects at dosages effective in the treatment of asthma. The same is true of atopic dermatitis, a chronically relapsing, pruritic, inflammatory skin disease, which, like asthma, generally occurs in individuals with familial history of allergic condition.
Compounds of the formula (I) and their utility as antidepressants have been recently disclosed by Saccomano et al., in published International Patent Application WO87/06576.
A particularly valuable method for the synthesis of the optically active compounds of the formula (I) wherein X is oxygen, R.sup.2 is methyl, R.sup.1 is exo-bicyclo-[2.2.1]hept-2-yl, and Y is 3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimid-2(1H)-on-4-yl, which is detailed below, is also disclosed in International Patent Application No. PCT/US89/05228, filed Nov. 13, 1989.